Courage
by everycloudhas
Summary: She ran. She ran to get the image of the intertwined hands to disappear from her mind. A is for Angst... but A is also for Abarai Renji. So, the ending will be...
1. Intertwined Hands

(勇気)

It was perfect.

It was everything a wedding should be.

The groom was handsome.

The bride was beautiful.

Everything was going smoothly,

Till,

The man of God uttered the timeless words.

"Should anyone here present know of any reason that this couple should not be join in holy matrimony,

Speak now or forever hold your peace."

Everybody waited.

Why would there be any?

Everybody knew they were meant for each other.

They were just strengthening their bond.

They were just making it official in the eyes of God.

The man of God smiled.

And he was going to continue when a soft trembling voice was heard.

There was shocked gasps of disbelief and disappointment.

Everybody knew she loved him.

But after all these years and on his wedding day,

She was finally going to tell him.

Everybody shook their heads and waited.

"I-I am not o-objecting." She stammered.

And everyone could see the tears cascading down her flushed cheeks.

Small and vulnerable.

She looked like she needed support.

She needed protection.

She looked beautiful.

And he scowled.

She cowered a little at his intense gaze.

But she needed to be strong for once in her life concerning her feelings.

She will never get the chance to tell him once they are joined together in the eyes of God.

She looked him straight in the eyes,

For this once,

Let her be selfish.

"I love you, I truly really love you,

I LOVE YOU!"

And Kurosaki Ichigo woke up drenched in his own sweat.

_'So she loves me, eh?_' He thought with his throbbing heart threatening to broke through his ribs due to how full of violent fury it was pounding against the rib cage.

And then,

A self-satisfied smile appeared on his smug face.

(勇気)

"So, anyone has any idea as to why we are all here waiting for Kurosaki?" Ishida Uryuu directed his question to the blank faces staring back at him.

"No one knows?" They shook their heads. "One would have thought he would have the decent courtesy to not let us wait for him, after all he was the one who called us here." Ishida continued to grumble.

He was a busy man. He did not have the time to waste. He has a ton of things to do instead of waiting for the idiot to show up. Five more minutes, and then he will learn what Kurosaki has to say some other time.

Inoue Orihime was suddenly very scared. Frightened as to what Kurosaki-kun was going to say. She did not what she fear most to come true. Tatsuki has only warned her the day before and she has told her best friend she has already accepted the inevitable but deep inside, there was still a very tiny shard of hope that refused to give up.

She looked down at her hands and started to clasp them tightly together as if she was praying.

Praying for...?

She heard footsteps but she did not dare to look up.

Heart thundering in her ears, she almost did not hear what was said.

"Nice of you to join us, Kurosaki?" Ishida began to gripe and then there was silence.

Orihime felt everyone's eyes on her.

She slowly, very slowly lifted her head.

Her first instinct was to run away and her second was to look at the man who must be hurting as much as she was.

_'Is this how I am appearing to the others now?'_ She thought sadly as she took in the pain in his eyes.

Was his heart feeling like it was shattering into a million pieces and even when it has healed itself, it will never be whole again.

Somebody coughed.

It was a signal for somebody to say something, anything.

Arisawa Tatsuki let out a long sigh of resignation. She glanced contemptuously at the couple holding hands. "I guess congratulations are in order." She let out another unwanted sigh on purpose.

Then, as if on a master puppeteer's invisible strings, they all turned to the gentle healer. Even Abarai Renji who felt his heart was being stomped on ruthlessly by the one he has secretly loved for so long turned to look at the auburn-haired princess, who sadly has lost her prince forever.

The pair of newly disclosed couple too have their attention on her.

All eyes were on her.

She tried, she really tried.

She absolutely tried to muster up a small smile but her poor broken heart did not even have the strength to let her do that.

The best she could do was to prevent her tears from showing up.

Eyes unnaturally bright, lips quivering, her words came out in almost a whisper,

"I am so happy for you, Kurosaki-kun. I always know that you and Kuchiki-san were meant to be together. I just remembered I have to go to the shop earlier than I should. I have to go now." She was glad she did not stammered but she knew the tears was on the brink of shedding from her eyes.

She bowed, gave a tiny wave and... ran.

"Inoue!" Kurosaki Ichigo dropped the hand he was holding and chased after her.

Tatsuki was stunned for a moment but then she too was ready to go after her best friend.

"Orihime!"

Kuchiki Rukia stood in her way, blocking her path to console her friend.

"Get out of my way, Kuchiki!" Tatsuki glared angrily at the one who was causing Orihime so much grief.

The short shinigami stood her ground. "No. This is between Ichigo and Inoue. Let the two of them finally resolve whatever they think they have."

"Rukia, I thought Inoue is a friend. How could you have pulled such a cruel stunt on her?" Renji, though he was hurting as much as Orihime has to pity the poor princess. She was just too sweet and innocent to have been subjected to such a heartless act. He was a big man, has survived through countless difficulties and he was going to live on, regardless of losing the one he loved. But the auburn-haired girl, his betrayed heart went out to her.

"That's right. I have even thought Kurosaki regarded Inoue-san as more than a friend." Insightful Ishida stated.

Tatsuki nodded sadly and said, "That's what I have always hoped for."

Sado Yasutora grunted out his agreement. He, being one of Ichigo's closest friend too thought his scowling friend held some sort of affection for the gentle healer. The eye not covered by his shaggy long hair showed sorrow for his cheerful friend. He wondered if she will ever smile so freely again.

"I thought he might even like her." The meek giant tragically offered.

Everybody seemed to be one mind regarding Ichigo's feelings expect for Rukia.

She folded her arms across her chest, "You are all wrong on all accounts. I did not 'planned' this. It was all Ichigo's idea. And for your information, he has never thought of Inoue as a friend and he most definitely does not like her." It almost sounded like gloating and something flashed in her eyes.

Whatever it was Tatsuki was going to smack it right out of her conceited face and then she was going after Ichigo. She almost relished the thought of making him feel as bad as Orihime was hurting inside.

The second strongest girl in Japan cracked her knuckles and... grinned.

(勇気)

Orihime ran.

She ran and shook the tears from her flushed face.

But she could not get the image of the intertwined hands to disappear from her mind.

She could hear him shouting for her.

Why?

And so she continued to run.

She did not notice the motorcycle speeding her way as she tried helplessly to escape from him.

Everything happened so fast and then she was in the arms of the one she loves but could never be hers.

She gazed hopelessly at him with her tear-stained face and before she could beg him to let her go,

He gently wiped the tears from her heated face and asked softly,

"Inoue, why are you crying?"

(勇気)


	2. Trying To Smile

(勇気)

_'Why am I crying?'_

_'He has to ask why am I crying.'_

_'But... he does not know, does he?'_

_'How much I love him.'_

Inoue Orihime desperately tried to remove herself from the the cushioning warmth of being in Kurosaki-kun's arms. She tried wriggling her smaller frame out of his seemingly impossible-to-break from embrace.

Was she even trying to escape from him?

But this was wrong. So very wrong.

He belongs to another.

Trembling and hopelessly attempting to halt any new onset of tears from leaving her eyes, she laid her small shivering hands on his hard chest. She felt his muscles twitched beneath her soft touch.

She felt his heart.

Why was it beating so fast?

She pushed against him.

His hold on her tightened in response.

She pushed harder.

He held her even closer, till her weeping face landed on his chest.

"Kurosaki-kun, please let me go." She whispered against him and clenched his school shirt with her small hands till they turned into fists.

Kurosaki Ichigo looked at the delicate auburn-haired princess struggling in his arms.

She should be snuggling not struggling to get away from him.

"First, tell me why are you crying?" He repeated his question.

Orihime flinched, she looked up at Ichigo with a defiant glare, "I am not crying." She gave a stubborn pout.

Ichigo smirked, he moved one of his hands from her back to touch the tear-stained flushed cheeks, he enjoyed the feel of her soft smooth skin and the way it assured him, it was really her in his arms instead of some twisted dream of his.

He bent his head closer to her. "Are you not?" His warm breath caressed her cheek as his face was only inches from her rapidly blushing red face.

She dared not to move.

"If you are not crying," He continued to say in a soft husky voice, "Then," He unexpectedly kissed her heated cheek!

Orihime gasped. Her tiny fists clenched his shirt so tightly her knuckles were turning white.

She wondered whose heart was beating faster?

He tilted her teary face by her quivering chin for her to look at him straight in the face. He licked his lips, slowly,

"Why does it taste like tears?" He breathed out his finding.

Orihime's honey eyes widened in bewilderment at Ichigo's totally unusual behavior.

This was not Kurosaki-kun. This cannot be Kurosaki-kun. And yet, when she slowly unclenched her fists and placed both her pale hands on his chest again.

It was undeniably Kurosaki-kun's fast pounding heart she felt beating underneath her hands.

But Kurosaki-kun's heart was beating for another.

Images she desperately did not want see, images she so wanted to forget she has seen, images of the intertwined hands appeared, painfully mocking her of who Kurosaki-kun's was beating for.

And so, once again she struggled helplessly in his strong grip and pushed at his chest, in order to separate herself from him.

Like before, he wrapped his arms around her even closer to prevent her from escaping from him.

He felt moisture on his chest first before he heard the girl in his arms sobbing heartbreakingly.

He did not want to do this.

He did not want to make her cry.

He knew she was crying because of him.

He wanted to hear it from her lips.

"Inoue, please tell me why are you crying?" He pleaded with her.

Orihime sobbed sorrowfully into his chest.

Why must Kurosaki-kun torture her so?

He has found love.

Why can't he just let her go?

"Inoue, please trust me."

Trust him? Trust him to break her heart.

"I-I..." No. She could not say it.

"What is it, Inoue?"

"P-Please j-just let m-me go, Kurosaki-kun."

"No. Not unless you tell me why are you crying."

To Orihime, that sounded like an order.

Who did he think he was, hugging her, kissing her; albeit on the cheek and now ordering her to explain to him as to why she was crying.

The gentle healer has had enough.

She pushed hard at his chest.

She glared or tried to glare at him with puffy red eyes, an equally red nose and swollen pink lips, all, set in a trying to be fiercely determined flushed face.

She wiped her tears from her face roughly with her small pale hands.

She took a deep breath.

"Kurosaki-kun," Ichigo arched an eyebrow on hearing her tone of a voice.

It sounded so unlike the placid princess. It sounded strong. It sounded throaty. And it sounded...

Sexy.

At that definition, Ichigo unabashedly viewed the innocent auburn-haired classmate with eyes that tried to convince him otherwise.

He has always known she was beautiful.

But sexy?

Inoue and sexy just did not go together.

Or, do they?

He continued to stare shamelessly at her with this newly discovered observation firmly rooted in place.

Orihime was not intimidated by the look she was getting from Kurosaki-kun.

She tried once again to extricate herself from his steel-liked clasp. But it was of no avail.

'_Stupid strong Kurosaki-kun.'_ Orihime thought childishly and then she fought the urge to grin at her boldness for saying something bad about the one she has promised five lifetimes of her devoted love to in each lifetime.

But now, she guessed she will not get the chance to love him in this lifetime.

"Kurosaki-kun, people are staring at us." She told him in a stern voice.

Well, so was he. Not at them. At her and only at her.

"So?" He answered her indifferently and continued with his gaze on her.

That one word apathetic answer really riled the gentle healer.

Never has she felt so irritated with Kurosaki-kun.

She glared at him exasperatedly, "People are staring. People will talk. Kuchiki-san might see us. She might get the wrong idea." She elaborated in simple short sentences for him.

"And what's the wrong idea?" He asked her flippantly.

Orihime really was frustrated with this superficial side of Kurosaki-kun. She...

She wanted to hit him.

And so she did.

She punched him on his muscular chest with all her might in her clenched up tightly tiny fist of lost chances.

He has to smirk. "I am sorry, Inoue. Was that suppose to hurt?" She looked angry. But at least, she was not crying anymore.

'_I bet it does not hurt as much as my heart is now._' Orihime thought sadly.

He saw the change in her expression. "Inoue,"

"Kurosaki-kun, please, I beg of you. Let me go."

"No. Not unless you..." Ichigo started to ask again, but he was cut off by a furious shout from Orihime.

"NO! I will not tell you. Stop asking me to." She wished she could hate him for what he was putting her through, but she has no one to blame for her own predicament but herself.

He looked at her with a knowing expression on his face. "Fine, then smile for me."

"H-Huh?"

"Smile for me to prove you are happy that I am with Rukia. That was what you said earlier, was it not?"

Orihime tried, she really tried but again, she was unable to. Just the thought of Kurosaki-kun and another, even someone as compatible as Kuchiki-san was for him was just too much for her to bear.

She really wished she hated him and she did not love him so much.

She jumped when she felt his rough fingers at the edge of her mouth, "You can't do it, can you?" He guessed correctly.

Her eyes filled with tears. "Why is Kurosaki-kun so cruel?" She sobbed out.

He gently wiped the tears that escaped from her eyes.

"I am not the cruel one here. You are the heartless one."

"W-Why am I the h-heartless o-one?" Orihime stammered her confusion.

"For denying me the chance to have your heart."

"W-What? I-I do not understand."

"I heard you, Inoue. I overheard your surprisingly enlightening conversation with Tatsuki."

"W-What c-conversation?" She asked nervously.

Ichigo lightly scowled at Orihime. He fixed her a steely look to dare her to deny she did not know of any such conversation.

Orihime was panicking. She chewed her bottom lip as a reflex to her fidgeting without the use of her hands. She forced herself to remember. _'What conversation? I have lots of talks with Tatsuki-chan. Which one has Kurosaki-kun overheard? Why is he saying about I not giving him a chance? A chance for what?' _She glanced at him timidly from beneath her tears drenched eyelashes.

He raised an eyebrow at her unintended kittenish look.

"Inoue."

"I am trying to remember, Kurosaki-kun." She huffed out her annoyance at him. "Could you help me to refresh my memories?"

Ichigo sighed at the genuine plea for assistance.

"Love, Inoue. Love."

"L-Love?" Ichigo nodded.

'_What is the 'love' Kurosaki-kun is talking about?' _Orihime thought frantically_. "Love. Love. Love...' _She stared at him as realization dawned.

"O-Oh."

'_That conversation.'_

(勇気)


	3. True Love and All

(Yoshi! A birthday treat for all on this special day. *^ο^*)

(Askosh Mosey : You are going to enjoy this. This story was what inspired me to write [恋情].)

(勇気)

_"Orihime, are you sure you really do not, ever want to confess to that scowling idiot about how you truly feel about him?"_

_"Tatsuki-chan! That is so mean. Kurosaki-kun is not an idiot."_

_"He is to me. He's a dense idiot for not knowing how you have loved him for so long."_

_"Tatsuki-chan, not so loud. Maybe Kurosaki-kun has known that I love him but he decides not to do anything about it because he just... does not love me. Being his considerate self, he thought it would be better if we were just friends and he pretends that I have no special feelings towards him, other than as a close friend."_

_"Then you are an idiot as well. You should back him into a corner, confront him about your L.O.V.E. for him and see what will be his reaction. Who's to know, perhaps he has loved you for as long as you have him."_

_"You are wrong on all accounts. I most definitely am not an idiot. That is so unkind of you, Tatsuki-chan. And Kurosaki-kun does not love me. He loves another. Someone who is the complete opposite of me. That is who he loves."_

_"Ishida."_

_"W-What?!"_

_"He loves Ishida? No. How about Sado or the big, red-haired tattooed guy?"_

_"W-What are you talking about, Tatsuki-chan?"_

_"You said that Ichigo love someone who is the complete opposite of you, then it's so obvious he's not straight."_

_"Tatsuki-chan! This is so not funny. How could you think of Kurosaki-kun as b-being... t-that?"_

_"If it is not funny, then how come there's a ghost of a smile on your face."_

_"I-It is not a smile."_

_"It's not? But seriously, Orihime, why do you think Ichigo is not even remotely interested in you? Have you noticed how he talks to you? Hell, even how he looks at you. Even if it is not love, I would still say it is more than as a friend should. Have you seen him gazing at someone that way?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Yes, who? Me?"_

_"I wish. You know who, Tatsuki-chan. Don't make me say it."_

_"What do you mean, 'you wish'? Wait, don't answer me. I don't want to have nightmares of me and urgh, him. So the thought of Ichigo and another is too much for you to even say it. If it hurts so much now, then what will happen when one day Ichigo is going to appear in front of you with his hand and hers, intertwined together, what will you do then?"_

_"I will smile and be happy for him."_

_"You will?"_

_"Yes. Loving someone does not give me the right to be selfish. Loving someone means being happy for him when he has found the one for him, even if that someone is not me. I will beam a gigantic happy smile at Kurosaki-kun and be happy for him."_

_"Even if you are crying on the inside and your heart is broken?"_

_"Yes."_

(ゆうき)

Inoue Orihime glanced timidly at the scowling Kurosaki Ichigo.

She has to look away in a hurry.

His fiery stare was burning into her very soul.

"Inoue." She kept her head down. She could not face him.

He knew.

He knew of her feelings for him.

He knew she love him.

Ichigo tried to suppress the grin from showing up on his face. She must have remembered. Why was going on in her mind now?

"Inoue." He repeated her name and hugged her even closer to him. He placed his chin on her satiny hair, inhaling the floral fragrance that was all about her. He felt her tiny frame shivering in his embrace. He will make her understand.

He heard her soft, muffled voice but he could not understand.

Then he felt the tears before he heard her crying again.

Why was she crying again?

He pulled himself reluctantly away from her. He wanted to create a little space between them so he could look into her face and know why was she crying again.

Very gently, he laid his big hands on her small shoulders, "Inoue," He attempted to push her away from his chest, just so he could look into those honey brown eyes of hers and wiped away her tears.

_'Ironic.'_ He thought wearily. Him trying to push her away when all he really wanted was to hold her tight and... love her.

The weeping princess shook her head and clenched on tight to her orange-haired prince's school shirt. She buried her face against his chest.

Muffled, indistictive words was heard again.

Ichigo removed his hands from Orihime's shoulders and wrapped his arms around her. He bent and whispered, "Inoue," He started to rub her back, "I can't understand a word you are saying. Can you not speak into my chest, as titillating as it is. Are you trying to seduce me?" He grinned mischievously to himself. That surely will get a response from the innocent princess.

He felt the warmth vanishing from his chest.

And the pale hands unclenched themselves from their hold on his shirt.

He looked down.

She glanced up.

In that spilt second when their eyes met, they knew.

They knew immediately.

They knew there was no escape.

But she still tried.

Once again, her small trembling hands were pushing at his hard chest.

"Kurosaki-kun, you are so mean." She stared at his chest and then out of frustration, she hit him once with her small fist.

That amusing action prompted Ichigo to wrap his strong arms tightly behind her back again. He muttered softly into her silky hair once her face was back onto his chest.

"You are the mean one today, Inoue."

Orihime lightly circled the area which she has hit him on the chest with her finger, she was fascinated at how his skin was reacting to even the tiniest touch from her.

"Why? For hitting you." She guessed softly.

He smirked and decided to play along with her."Yeah. It hurts, Inoue."

"Not as much as how my heart hurt when I saw you and Kuchiki-san." She could feel the tears threatening to make a reappearance again and saying her name sadly reminded what they should not be doing.

They should not be in each other's arms.

This time she did not attempt to push herself away from him.

He was just too strong for her.

And...

She liked being in his arms.

So, let her be selfish for awhile longer as she let herself be engulfed in the comforting warmth that was Kurosaki-kun.

"Kurosaki-kun,"

"Inoue,"

The soft giggling brought a seldom seen smile to appear on the scowling face. He looked down on the girl who has her cheek on his heart.

And who held it in her soft, gentle healing hands.

There was silence as Orihime continued to listen to Ichigo's heart beating for someone other than her.

She sighed.

This has to end.

She was about to say something when Ichigo beat her to it.

"Inoue, even though your heart is hurting so much, were you going to keep on not saying what you really feel for me? And you can't hide behind your smiles, because you can't even smile, right?"

He felt her nod.

"Then why? Why won't you just tell me you love me. Were you really going to be happy for me with another when you know your heart will never be whole again?"

"I thought I could. But I guess I am just not that strong. I am not as strong as Kuchiki-san. That is why Kurosaki-kun has chosen her and Kurosaki-kun loves..." Orihime looked up at Ichigo and she was going to ask him to release her because Kurosaki-kun love not her, when unexpectedly Ichigo smirked at her and... pinched her softly on her flushed cheek.

She pouted in surprise, as he grinned boyishly.

Orihime rubbed her cheek.

"Kurosaki-kun is really, really mean today. Why did you pinch me?" She asked and swatted him lightly on the chest.

"It was that or the other alternative to stop you from uttering nonsense."

"What other alternative?"

"Kissing you. But since we have not even gone on our first date, I thought that could wait till our first date, right Inoue?" He asked cheekily.

" ... "

"Inoue, are you alright?" Ichigo shook her small shoulders anxiously.

"Inoue?" What he was going to ask die in his throat when he caught the face peeking up at him.

He was really tempted to kiss her when she looked up at him.

Doe-liked eyes shinning with confusion, teeth nibbling at her plump lower lip in anxiety, fingers dancing nervously on his chest, "K-Kurosaki-kun, you are confusing me. F-First d-date? What about Kuchiki-san?" Fingers clutched onto his shirt again.

"Rukia? Yeah, that reminds me. Where are our school bags?" He looked around for their bags that were dropped hastily when he has to rescue his princess from getting hurt.

"You are not going to run away from me again, are you?" Ichigo asked her mischievously before determinedly taking the small soft hand and leading her to where their school bags were.

Orihime gasped in surprise as her hand was being captured by Ichigo.

She let herself be dragged willingly by him.

She stared at his back.

Has his ears always been so red?

Kurosaki-kun and her?

She shook her head frantically.

What about Kuchiki-san?

And she almost tripped over a bent over Kurosaki-kun.

"K-Kurosaki-k-kun... "

And once again, she was safe in his strong, dependable arms.

"Inoue, are you alright?" Her orange-haired protector asked anxiously as he held his princess securely within his arms.

Bright, shinning brown eyes gazed gratefully at him.

"T-Thank you, Kurosaki-kun." The blushing princess smiled shyly.

Ichigo grinned cheekily.

"So... I am no longer consider as mean, am I?"

Orihime knew her face was becoming warm again due to Ichigo's unexpected playful side.

"I-I do not know. A-Are you mean to m-me, K-Kurosaki-kun?"

He stared at her for a few nerve-wrecking moment before shaking his head.

"First thing first. Hang on a minute." He released her with a boyish grin on his non-scowling face. He rummaged through his school bag before appearing to bring out a small bottle of... hand sanitizer?!

Orihime's big doe-liked soft brown eyes got even bigger as she waited anxiously for whatever Kurosaki-kun was going to do next.

Ichigo smirked wickedly at her before shuddering slightly at what he must have remembered. He placed both their school bags securely under his armpit. "Speaking of Rukia," And he shuddered again. "Here." He grabbed hold of her two small hands and he squeezed out a fair amount of gel on the palms of her waiting hands.

"K-Kurosaki-k-kun?" The puzzled princess stammerd out in absolute bewilderment as the bubble gum scent drifted to her nose.

Ichigo squirted out almost the whole content of the bottle before shoving the bottle into his pocket. Then he started to rub his hands vigorously.

He arched an eyebrow at the motionless cute girl staring at him.

"K-Kurosaki-k-kun?" Orihime blushed and stammered again.

"Rub your hands together, Inoue." He instructed her.

Seeing as the gentle healer was not doing at what he has ordered, sorry, asked her to do. The orange-haired protector took the initiative of capturing her small hands in his bigger ones and began to go over the surfaces of her soft hands.

Damnit! His face was not getting warm! He could feel the pretty princess' curious, concerned gaze on him but he continued to concentrate on the enjoyable job of... touching her dainty hands.

Orihime too was liking her hands being 'massage' by Ichigo's bigger, coarse hands a little too much. She smiled contentedly and gazed upon the what could be intertwined hands with love.

_'Intertwined hands... '_

_'Oh...'_

And the unwanted, hurtful image of Kurosaki-kun's hands laced together with another, appeared again in her mind and her eyes started to sting.

A friend of theirs.

And the gentle weaver snatched her hands away from the scowling protector.

"K-Kurosaki-kun... " Orihime almost sobbed out his name.

At this sad utterance, Ichigo was in despair. He stared at his big lonely hands. Was he too rough with the delicate princess?

"Inoue, what's wrong?"

"What are we doing, Kurosaki-kun?" Orihime asked sadly.

"What? Oh, you mean this." He pointed to their recently joined together hands. "I thought we should disinfect them as I have held hand with the annoying midget. Wait, I touched your face... maybe I should... " Murmuring to himself, Ichigo took out his bottle of hand sanitizer, read the label and warning before once again, squirting a little amount on one of his palm,

"I am sure it's not going to have any adverse effect on your face and so, if you don't mind," Ichigo grinned sheepishly at Orihime before tabbing a few drops on her cheeks and lightly rubbed her smooth skin.

Both teenagers' faces were reflecting a healthy glow of red and their hearts were beating to the same fast rhythm.

Different shades of brown collided.

"K-Kurosaki-kun... "

"Huh?"

"Kurosaki-kun, just what are you doing?"

"Didn't I tell you? We are getting rid of whatever germs that dead person might be carrying."

"W-What d-dead person?" She looked at a smirking Ichigo in confusion. Ichigo arched a knowing eyebrow at her.

"K-Kurosaki-k-kun... You cannot be talking about Kuchiki-san. That is so mean of you."

"So I am back to being mean. But why can't I say that about Rukia."

"S-She is your g-g... y-your g-gi..." The stammering princess tried. She really tried but she just cannot say it.

"You can't say it, can you?"

She shook her head. "We should get back to Kuchiki-san. She must be worried about where you are."

"Yeah. We should. But not until you tell me why you can't say what you think Rukia is to me."

"You know why. You heard the conversation I had with Tatsuki-chan."

"Yes. What I accidentally heard. I want to hear it from you, straight to my face."

"Why is Kurosaki-kun so cruel? If I say it, we will go back?"

"Yes."

" ... "

"Inoue?"

"I-I love you, K-Kurosaki-kun. I love you so much that it hurts. It hurts..."

"Finally." Ichigo uttered thankfully and he pulled the sad princess into his arms and held her tight.

Orihime knew it was wrong to be in the arms of someone who belonged to another. "K-Kurosaki-kun, w-we should n-not..." She protested, weakly.

"Why shouldn't we? Why shouldn't I hug the girl who loves me?"

"Yes. I love you, but you do not..."

"You are right, Inoue. I admit I don't love you in the passionate way you do me... but I.. I have feelings for you and I like you... I like you very much."

"You do?"

"Yes. And another thing I know for damn sure is... " And once again, Ichigo shuddered. It was almost an allergic reaction. "I sure as hell do not have any romantic feelings towards that short, shriveled shinigami." He held the curvaceous beauty closer to him.

"Kurosaki-kun! You should not call Kuchiki-san that." Orihime lightly chided him. But unintended giggles escaped from her unwillingly mouth. She slowly wrapped her thin arms around him and sighed. "Then why? Why did you hold hands with her?"

"You still don't know? Think about it." He replied as his hands rubbed themselves sensuously up and down her back.

Orihime did as she has been told. But the hands on her back was distracting her. They felt so good on her. She concentrated not on the tingling sensations her whole body was experiencing. She thought about it very carefully.

The truth made her pout in annoyance at him. She pushed herself free from him. She tried glaring at him.

"Oh. Kurosaki-kun is really mean today. But Kuchiki-san is very nice to help you, isn't she?"

"Not really. She wanted something in return."

"What is it?"

"I will tell you on the way. We should getting back. Who knows, I might be missing the fight between your guardian 'dragon' and the boyfriend 'stealer'."

"Kurosaki-kun?! They are your friends."

"Maybe... but I don't care about them as I do a certain gentle healer." He admitted boldly albeit a sprinkling of pink was making a reappearance on his handsome face.

"K-Kurosaki-k-kun ~ " Orihime was embarrassed but she was truly happy. Then something broke into her daze of happiness... "B-Boyfriend?!"

"Yeah. I can't wait to show off my real girlfriend with our hands entwined together." He smirked smugly at her and held out his hand to her.

"K-Kurosaki-k-kun ~ !" She stammered but, nevertheless her small hand reached out to clasp the bigger hand; she beamed at him, she made him smile and they walked hand-in-hand back to their friends.

(ゆうき)

"So..." Arisawa Tatsuki let the shock settled in as she and the rest of the dumbstruck friends of the newly disclosed couple stared in defuddlement at the hands rubbing black-haired shinigami.

"Yes?" Kuchiki Rukia asked coolly as she continued with the disinfection of her hands.

"So... it was all Ichigo's idea to get Orihime to confess to him."

"Yes."

"And you were just helping out a friend out of the goodness of your heart."

"Yes... and no."

"I knew it! What did you ask for in return for Ichigo to be hook up with Inoue?!" Abarai Renji shouted in knowing triumphant.

"It's not a hook-up! Orihime loves that not so dense idiot and the quite unexpected loverboy loves her. Although I don't see him telling her that. He just must have given her some speech about him having feelings for her and liking her as more than a friend." Tatsuki surmised somewhat correctly about her childhood friend.

There were nods of greement over the obvious behavior of Kurosaki Ichigo.

"So what did you ask from Ichigo?" A very curious Renji asked again.

Rukia stopped rubbing her hands, smiled slyly and waved the bottle of hand sanitizer at them.

There were faces of disbelief.

"That's all! A crappy bottle of germ killer! The love of a princess for that. Ichigo sure is one stingy bastard or..." Renji eyed Rukia in disappointment, "You are losing your negotiating skills." He shook his head sadly at her.

The short shinigami wanted to hurt the smug shinigami with the small bottle she was brandishing but she decided it was too precious to her. She stomped on one of his big foot instead.

"Ouch!" Renji cried out in pain and glared at the short stomper.

Rukia shoved the small bottle in front of his angry face. "Look carefully, you ignorant baboon. This is a limited-edition green tea scented, dissolving beads 'Chappy' deluxe bottle of hand sanitizer." She proudly proclaimed and held the 'treasure' high up in the air for all the fortunate eyes to gaze upon it with reverence.

There was almost a halo surrounding it.

A bright golden circle.

A sparkling round... till it was shattered by the unbelievable, sceptical voice of one Abarai Renji. "You expect us to believe that, Rukia. Come on, spit out the real deal. It's not as if we are going to ask you to share it with us."

Ishida Uryuu pushed up his glasses, "Speak for yourself, Abarai-kun. Why would I want to claim for something that was earned by another."

"So, you are also saying that Rukia has gotten more for herself than she has disclosed. See, Rukia. Even the smart one knew."

"Abarai-kun, please do not twist my words to your own benefit."

"Whatever. Come on, Rukia. Spit. It. Out."

"I will spit on you if you don't stop with your greedy guesses. There. Is. Nothing. All right. It is only this." Rukia waved the small bottle of hand sanitizer around.

"Much as I don't want to agree with your tattooed gangsta friend, I too find it very difficult to believe you are so big-hearted. No offense intended, but this was a great opportunity to squeeze something out of Ichigo." Tatsuki added, suspiciously.

Rukia let out a very long, deep sigh. "I really did not ask for anything else. Really." She looked beseechingly at everybody. "Ichigo asked me and I decided to help out because they are my friends. Besides, she loves him and he loves her. So, I was just helping cupld to bring two hearts together because we all know those two are meant to be together. True love and all, right?" And she stole a peep at her 'true love'.

It did not go unnoticed by a perceptive Quincy. "We believe you, Kuchiki-san. But what I find it so difficult to believe is how someone as romantically dense as Kurosaki could have realized his feelings for Inoue-san and thought of such an ingenious though somewhat cruel scenario for Inoue-san to experience."

"It work, didn't it." Renji guessed.

"Can we be sure? What if Inoue-san would not listen to Kurosaki and she is probably crying her heart out now, even as we speak."

"You are right, Ishida. I did not think of it. I should have gone after them. Poor Orihime. Can you sense their whatchamacallit and tell me. I want to lend my shoulder for Orihime to cry... "

"Why should Inoue be crying?" The cruel culprit's voice made his presence known to an angry dragon.

"You! You dare to ask after pulling such a heartless stunt, you..." And the words died in her throat for Tatsuki and everybody saw the scowling protector and the blushing princess with their hands tightly entwined, together.

"See, what did I tell you. It worked!" Renji crowed. He was mentally patting himself on his back over his sixth sense.

Rukia smiled, sagely. Her work was done.

Tatsuki grinned. Those two idiots really deserved each other.

Sado Yasutaro gave his thump's up of approval.

Ishida wondered if world peace was going to happen as well. And if another 'true love' miracle will be happening again very soon.

"Well, why should Inoue be crying? Wait... she did cry." Blunt, thoughtless Ichigo blurted out without thinking.

Tatsuki glared at him and pumped her fist into her palm. "So, you made her cry." She said softly and moved closer.

"Yeah, I did... But it's alright between us now, right Inoue?" The hand tightened its grip and he stepped backwards.

Orihime covered the bigger hand which was holding hers rather tightly with her other small hand. She stepped in front of Ichigo.

"Yes Tatsuki-chan. Kurosaki-kun did make me cry but as you can see," She held up their laced hands, "Our hands speak for themselves."

"Wow, Orihime. I am impressed. Defending your 'man' so soon?" Tatsuki teased. "Don't worry, I wasn't going to hurt him... too badly. And you," She pointed at Ichigo. "Don't hurt her." She warned him and hit him on his forearm for extra measure.

Ichigo scowled at her. "As if it will ever happen."

"I am impressed, Kurosaki. Love has made you clever. Congratulations, you are not a dense idiot anymore."

"Shut your trap, Ishida."

"No, seriously. It gives us hope for another dense idiot to make his move to his long-suffering 'true love'." Ishida hinted not so subtlety and everybody turned to ponder upon the said idiot, well, almost everybody...

Renji was wondering why was there three pairs of eyes on him.

Rukia has her head down. She hoped what goes around, comes around.

Ichigo was whispering something soft and sentimental to his girlfriend and Orihime, she was fighting the warmth that threatened to highlight her blushing embarrassment as to what her boyfriend was saying. She wanted to say something sweet to him as well,

When...

"I know what I am supposed to do!" Renji shouted, all of a sudden.

Rukia's heart beat faster.

Three pairs of eyes staring at the red-haired excited fukutachiou was joined by the startled pair of the hands-holding young couple.

Rukia still could not face him. Her good deed will finally be rewarded. Her heart started to beat faster and faster when she heard footsteps walking towards...

Inoue?

Her head shot up and she saw the tattooed baboon... holding one of Inoue's small hand in his two bigger ones! She was going to express her protest when Ichigo beat her to it.

"Oi! Get your filthy hands off of my girl! I have just disinfected those soft hands!"

Renji caressed the captured hand. "Yes, it's very soft and smooth as well. Inoue, wait, call I call you Orihime?"

"What?! No! I have not even call her that yet and we are in a relationship." Ichigo's face showed tints of a very unmanly shade of pink. He smiled at Orihime.

"A relationship?" Tatsuki muttered to her amusement.

Orihime smiled shyly back at the one she was in a relationship with, "Y-You can call me O-Orihime, K-Kurosaki-kun."

Ichigo smirked. "And it's Ichigo, Orihime."

Orihime's face glowed. She nodded happily.

"Ichigo-kun."

"Orihime."

The young couple gazed at each other in a shared moment of love.

"Whatever." Renji shrugged off the tender moment. "Now, Orihime. I know I am a stray whereas you are a star. A bright, sparkling star. I wonder if a luminous being like you would ever give this mongrel a chance?"

"A chance for what, Abarai-kun?" The surprised 'star' asked in bewilderment.

"It's Renji. And a chance for love, Orihime." He said sincerely and knelt down.

The shocked princess' eyes widened. Everybody else,

**"WHAT?!"**

Ichigo's the first to react. "Get your hands off her! Find somebody else to love! Stop coveting my wife!" Ichigo hit at Renji's hands and forced them to release their immoral grip on his 'wife'.

"Wife?! When did it happen?" Tatsuki asked, incredulously.

"Well... I am sure In... Orihime would not object to being married to me somewhere in the near future. Right, Orihime?" Ichigo scratched the back of his head nervously to cover his hopefulness as his brown eyes questioned her in anxiety.

The blushing bride-to-be gazed shlyly at him and nodded softly.

The delighted future husband grinned, broadly.

They just continued to look at each other tenderly, their minds with thoughts already with a future, together.

"Renji, what the hell are you thinking?! You and Inoue! She belongs to Ichigo!" Rukia pulled Renji rather roughly from his 'love'.

"Why... Are you jealous, Rukia? It's not as if you love me or... do you?" He looked at her firmly with his brown eyes holding her violet ones hostage. "Do you love me, Rukia?" He asked her in a low, steady voice.

_Who says Abarai Renji is a dense idiot?_

The black-haired childhood friend of his gazed at him with a very fond expression on her nervous face but no declaration of love was spoken.

Renji sighed. "I thought as much. That's when I realized all of this elaborated planning was done for me, to let me find my destiny, my true love and I know it is to be with the princess, The Weaver Princess; Inoue Orhime."

_**Or is he?**_

(勇気)


End file.
